The military exercises come as an global tribunal in The Hague prepares to rule on a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s claims in the strategic waterway.
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In the arbitration case, the Philippines is contesting China’s claim to an area shown on its maps as a nine-dash line stretching deep into the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, covering hundreds of disputed islands and reefs.
The Yomiuri Shimbun The government is coordinating with other Group of Seven (G-7) nations to issue a joint statement that will demand that China respect the upcoming worldwide ruling regarding Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, according to sources.
During the drill all non-military ships are prohibited from entering the region.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has this multimedia presentation on the conflicting claims.
The Philippines has asked the Netherlands-based court to rule in a case that pits China against several South Asian countries with overlapping claims.
Taiwan has no way of knowing what the ruling will say, but the government has prepared for various scenarios, and Taiwan will make clear its stance when the ruling is announced on July 12, Lee said. China, for its part, has said that such claims are invalid and that it will not accept the ruling.
“It was presented by the Philippines but has been directed by the United States”.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea including a cluster of islands, reefs and atolls further south called the Spratlys.
‘Negotiation has been agreed upon as the way to resolve the dispute, ‘ he said.
Li Guoqiang, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, said in disputes concerning the South China Sea, “negotiation is the only choice and the only viable approach”.
China does not accept nor is it a participant in the arbitration, and will never recognize the so-called “award”, as it is illegal, null and void for the following reasons.
Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years. But he appears to have signaled actions such as strengthening US freedom of navigation operations and the deployment of USA military units in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, Xinhua has criticized the role played by the United States in the dispute.
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The move signals Washington’s push on Beijing to exercise restraint ahead of planned talks between President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the September 4-5 summit in Hangzhou, eastern China.
